


Deep water

by LittlePopcorn



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: But only for a bit, Did you read all the tags, Drowning, Except Phil visits instead of Dream, Gen, Hurt TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), It Gets Worse, It's like Tommy goes in exile, Other Characters Are Mentioned, Siren Philza, Sirens, Suicidal Thoughts, Sword Fighting, Tags Are Hard, Tags Contain Spoilers, Told you they had spoilers, TommyInnit-centric (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot and TommyInnit are Siblings, Wilderness Survival, ending up to interpretation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:15:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29717718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittlePopcorn/pseuds/LittlePopcorn
Summary: Tommy and his brother Wilbur go on a ship to run away from their past. They say the land they're going to is beautiful and full of opportunities.However, it seems like fate has other ideas for them.Follow Tommy in his adventure, where he meets mythical creatures (sirens) and regrets all his life choices!
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 61
Collections: Completed stories I've read





	1. Calm

**Author's Note:**

> Here is another story! It was a bit inspired by this prompt: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29472228  
> However, I'd say mine will follow a pretty different direction.  
> Hope you enjoy! :D

Tommy walks along a busy street. The smell of sea hits his nose, they must be close. The houses start to get further and further apart. Tommy can see a ship in the distance. He smiles in excitement and starts to run towards it.

“Tommy!” He hears a voice shout. Tommy ignores his brother’s protests and keeps running.

“Race you to the ship!” Tommy screams, shooting his brother a mischievous smile.

Tommy hears his brother huff and quickens his footsteps. Tommy only smiles and runs faster. He’d do anything to annoy his brother.

Tommy keeps running and eventually the buildings give way into an open space. Tommy lowers his speed to look at the view.  
It’s beautiful. The sky is blue, no clouds in sight. The ocean extends as far as he can see. It’s a beautiful body of water, with crystal waters and the promise of adventures. The smell of the sea hits his nose at full force. He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath.

He opens them when he feels a hand on his shoulder. He looks to the side and finds his brother, panting. 

“What were you thinking, Tommy?” The man asks, looking at Tommy with a hint of annoyance, but mostly exhaustion.

“It’s not my fault you are so slow, Wilbur” Tommy smirks. Wilbur huffs, running a hand through his dark brown hair. 

“If you do that again, I’ll leave you here” Wilbur decides, shooting Tommy a look. Tommy only smiles innocently in response.  
The two walk in the direction of the ship. Tommy gasps in amazement. 

“This is the biggest ship I’ve ever seen!” Tommy exclaims. 

Wilbur rolls his eyes. “It’s the first ship you’ve ever seen”

They get close. There is crowd of people around the dock. The two push their way through the people, eventually getting to the side of the ship. Tommy looks up. The ship has three tall masts, an array of cannons on the deck and a sculpture of a mermaid at its prow.

The sun glares down at them. The boat’s shadow engulfs Tommy. Tommy feels as if the boat is challenging him. He sets his teeth into a grin and stares right back.

Wilbur looks at him weirdly. He sighs, as if giving up on his brother, and drags him by the arm. They get to a man who’s standing just outside the boat. They make eye contact, and the guy turns to them.

“Your documents?” The man asks, extending his arm. Wilbur gives him the required object. The man looks it over carefully. Tommy rocks his feet, impatient to get on the ship. The man finally looks up and hands them back. “Have a good trip” The guy says, turning to attend to another person.

The two get on the ship. It rocks slightly, gently swaying in the water. Tommy feels his excitement shoot through the roof. He can’t believe he’s really here, that this isn’t a dream. Tommy pinches his arm just to make sure.

Wilbur looks at him weirdly. Tommy stares back at him, eyebrow raised. Wilbur sighs. 

“Why are you doing that?” Wilbur points at his arm, which already has red marks from the pinching.

Tommy shrugs. “I need to know this isn’t a dream.”

Wilbur looks like he regrets all his decisions in life. “Just” Wilbur looks pleadingly at Tommy. “Just stop.” 

“It’s not like I have to do it anymore.” Tommy crosses his arms. Wilbur turns around and starts heading deeper into the ship. Tommy huffs but follows him.

“This” Wilbur points to the floor. “Is where we’ll sleep”

Tommy looks at him skeptically. “You’re kidding, right?”

Wilbur just looks at him with a serious expression. “Does it look like I’m kidding?”

Tommy sighs dramatically and throws his arms to the air. Wilbur just looks unimpressed.

“How could I, the great TommyInnit, sleep on the floor?” Tommy raises his voice, gesturing to said floor.

Wilbur rolls his eyes. “You’ll get used to it” 

Maybe Tommy should have thought better before entering this boat. Now he will be stuck here for at least few weeks. Tommy groans. A few really long weeks. 

The two brothers start bickering. They stop when the ship starts to depart. The two run to the deck, looking at the beach. The land gets farther and farther away, and after some minutes, there is only sea around them.

“Wow” Wilbur whispers, looking around. Tommy does so as well. The water is clean but deep. Tommy wanders what would happen if he dropped something in it. He’ll probably never see the object again.

Wilbur turns to Tommy with a questioning look. Tommy raises an eyebrow. 

“Please tell me you aren’t thinking of jumping in the water or something”

Tommy gasps dramatically. “How dare you accuse me of such a thing? I would never.”

Wilbur gives his brother a weak push. Tommy looks at Wilbur with a blank expression. Wilbur raises an eyebrow. The two stand apart, waiting in anticipation. And then…

Tommy starts shaking Wilbur.

“Tommy!”

* * *

It’s already the next day. The sun is high in the sky, and Tommy leans on the wall, looking at the ocean. It’s not like there’s much else to look at.

His sleep last night wasn’t exactly the best. He remembers it, lying on the cold floor, and a lot of people around him. They smelled like fish and sweat, a horrible combination. Tommy was sleeping next to Wilbur. He made sure to show his discontent by kicking Wilbur every once in a while, and the man just started kicking him back.

Tommy shudders at the memory. He can’t believe he will have to spend a month like this. Oh well.

There are other people up and about. There is this one guy with weird glasses and a hat. He seems to be tinkering with something. Tommy shrugs. Weird.

There is also a guy with sunglasses bothering another guy with sunglasses. Tommy stares. The guy in a fancy shirt seems to be making fun of the other, while the other man just seems exasperated. 

The next person he looks at is more interesting. Pink hair in a braid, a fancy white shirt and black pants. The man’s red eyes look disinterested. Tommy immediately approaches him.

“Are you a pirate?” He asks, more like shouts. The man looks at him, eyebrow raised.

“No? I’m just here as a passenger” The pink haired man drawls.

Tommy jumps in place. “Oh wow, it must be really cool to be a pirate! And you’re all secretive and shit!”

The guy just looks unimpressed. From this close, Tommy can see the man is carrying a sword.

“You can fight?” Tommy asks excitedly.

“Yes.” The man gives a short answer.

“Teach me!” Tommy screams.

“No.” The man then turns and walks away, completely ignoring Tommy.

“Oh, come on! It will be quick, I promise!” Tommy follows behind the man as he walks. “You’ll be impressed by my sheer professionalism”

“Do you even know what that means?”

“Of course I do” Tommy counters. “Why?”

“’Cause you seem to be the type of guy that only uses words with up to three syllables.”

Tommy gasps. “I’ll let you know I know a lot of big words! As in…” Tommy takes a moment to think. “Photosynthesis is the stupendous process of the mitochondria!”

“…That didn’t make any sense. Do you even know what that means?” The man’s voice is monotone, but Tommy feels that if it had more emotion, it would actually sound concerned. Tommy huffs.

“They do make sense. You’re just not in my intellectual level” Tommy crosses his arms.

The guy gives him a smirk. “I’m not in your intellectual level alright” Tommy feels as if that was an insult.

Tommy frowns. “So, are you gonna teach me or not?”

The man actually stops and looks at him questioningly. “I just said no, why would I change my answer?”

“The great TommyInnit doesn’t take no for an answer!” If Tommy can’t convince him through asking, he’ll annoy him until he gives in. “Teachmeteachmeteachmeteachme”

The guy sighs. “If I do it, will you leave me alone?”

“Yes!” Tommy gives him an innocent smile, hands behind his back. He’s crossing his fingers.

“Alright” The man picks up a sword from the ground and throws it at him. “Think fast”

Tommy screeches, jumping away. The sword clatters to the ground. The guy raises an eyebrow.

“Did you just throw a fucking sword at me?” Tommy asks with indignation.

“Yes. And you were supposed to catch it.” The man says in a monotone voice.

Tommy picks it up from the ground and examines it. It’s heavier than he expected. Its blade seems to be made of steel. “Shouldn’t we fight with wooden swords first?” Tommy doesn’t want to get his limbs cut off.

“…Do you see a wooden sword anywhere?”

“That’s fair” Tommy tries to adjust his stance, giving the sword a few testing swipes. 

“You’re doing it wrong” The man drawls. Tommy looks at him disbelievingly. “Your left leg should be leading, sword in right hand.”

Tommy huffs and adjusts his stance. The pink haired guy suddenly rushes towards him. Tommy yelps, bringing up the sword to deflect the attack. The blades collide, and Tommy grips the handle of the sword tightly.

“What was that for?” Tommy asks, a hint of frustration in his voice.

“Lesson number one” And with that the man gives a few swipes. They’re too fast and Tommy jumps back. The blade swipes down inches from his skin. “Life doesn’t give you warnings, kid”

The guy keeps delivering hits. He makes remarks about Tommy’s stance or blows. The man is on the offensive, and Tommy can’t do anything but defend.

“Attack” The man drawls, and Tommy wonders how his voice is so monotone even in the middle of a fight. “You didn’t bother me just to keep deflecting my blows”

With that, Tommy gains a new found surge of confidence, and starts going on the offensive. The guy easily blocks his blows, and the two starts to get on a pattern. Attack, deflect, deflect, attack…

The guy’s movements start to get more sluggish. A hope lights up inside Tommy. Is the man getting tired? Tommy’s confidence boosts up and he starts delivering more blows. Tommy finds an opening, and raises his sword high, bringing it down.

…Only to have it knocked out of his grasp.

Tommy gasps. He doesn’t have time to process what happened, feeling a sharp pain in his neck. The man is standing in front of him, pointing the blade to his throat. Tommy is panting, but stays completely still, eyes wide in anticipation. 

The two stay silent for a few agonizing seconds. Then the man puts his blade down. Tommy sighs in relief, rubbing his neck.

“You were getting too confident.” The man drawls. “Don’t make that mistake again.” And with that, the man starts walking away.

“Hey!” Tommy gets up from the ground, calling for the man’s attention. The guy stops, turning towards him slightly. “I didn’t catch your name” Tommy admits.

The guy turns around fully and smiles. “That’s because I didn’t throw it” And with that, the guy is gone.

Tommy gasps. He did not just…

“Tommy!” He hears someone shout. Tommy turns and Wilbur is there. The man looks at him and gasps. “What happened?” He asks, worry in his voice.

Tommy raises an eyebrow. “What’s the problem?”

“Your neck” Wilbur lets a bit of frustration and fear slip into his tone. “You’ve got a cut.”

Tommy’s mouth moves into a ‘o’ shape. “Oh. I fought someone with a sword.”

Wilbur stops, looking at him disbelievingly. “Please tell me you’re making this up” 

Tommy shrugs. “That’s what happened, big man”

Wilbur groans. “Tommy! I leave you for once second and you’re fighting someone with a sword! Do you realize what’s wrong with that?”

“It’s nothing. I’m a big man, I’m fine” Tommy says offhandedly.

Wilbur grips his shoulder. Tommy feels a pang of guilt when he sees the worry in Wilbur’s eyes. Tommy keeps his gaze to the floor.

“Tommy, please, just stop getting into trouble” Wilbur runs a hand through his hair. The man sighs, stepping away. “You’re going to give me a heart attack one of these days”

Tommy pushes through the guilt and looks up. The two make eye contact. “I’m sorry, Wilbur” The teen apologizes.

“It’s fine, Tommy. But please” Wilbur shoots him a pleading glance. “Stop doing that”

“I’ll try” And with that, Wilbur and Tommy move to another part of the ship. They sit on the floor.

“How is your day?” Tommy asks.

“It’s been mostly fine. I talked with some people on the ship” Wilbur says, looking at the other people. “That is Jack” Wilbur points to the guy with the weird glasses. “And those guys are Quackity and Eret” Wilbur points to the two guys with sunglasses. The tallest one is face palming while the other is doubled over laughing.

“Are there any more people you know?” Tommy asks, looking back at Wilbur.

“Oh, there’s also a guy called Technoblade. Pink hair, red eyes” When Wilbur looks beside him, Tommy is wearing a deadpan expression. Wilbur raises an eyebrow, confused. “What?”

“The guy didn’t tell me his fucking name, but he told you. Just why?”

Wilbur’s eyes widen. “Was Techno the guy you just fought with?”

Tommy nods. Wilbur groans. 

“Tommy, what were you thinking?” Wilbur asks. “You were going to get destroyed”

Tommy crosses his arms. “It’s not that bad. I’m strong, I could manage it”

Wilbur points accusingly at Tommy’s neck. Tommy covers it with his hand. “The guy was making it easy for you and you still left the fight with a cut”

Tommy huffs. “I almost won, you know”

“And why do I doubt that?”

Tommy gasps, offended. “I am actually an amazing swordsman, I’ll let you know.” He then adds as an afterthought “It gets me all the women”

Wilbur wheezes. The corner of Tommy’s mouth quirks up, but he tries to mask it. “What’s so funny?” He asks, but he eventually starts laughing as well.

“Anyway” Wilbur says after a few moments, having collected himself. “It’s a good time for lunch, don’t you think?”  
Tommy grins. “In that we agree”

They get to a room. There are some apples in a counter. There seems to be someone looking over them. They get close and the guy offers them two apples. They take them and Wilbur thanks the man. The guy just nods in response, looking back at the apples.

Tommy bites into his apple. “It’s pretty good” The teen says with his mouth full.

“Don’t talk while you’re eating” The brunet advises. “And you better enjoy that apple, because the food only goes worse from here.”

Tommy eats his apple in acceptance. When the food gets worse, there’s nothing he could do but complain to Wilbur. Besides, he is used to being hungry.

The day goes on as usual. They spend most of the time talking or observing the view. Wilbur eventually leaves to talk to the other people in the boat, and Tommy finds something to pass the time. 

He sleeps just like the other day, on the floor. He can’t say he doesn’t stink, but geez, people should learn to take a bath, the smell is unbearable. 

The next day, unsurprisingly, goes on just like the others. Tommy is starting to get bored, but he is used to boredom. The sight of ocean is common, engraving itself into his mind. It’s still kind of pretty, but it’s starting to feel a little empty. Just their ship, in the middle of nowhere.

He starts to get to know some of the people on the ship. Jack seems to stay on his own, talking to him when prompted. He seems like a nice guy. That doesn’t mean Tommy doesn’t annoy him.

Quackity, who Tommy also calls Big Q, has a similar sense of humor to him. Tommy will usually joke around with him, and together, they annoy other people on the ship.

Eret is the calmest out of the three. They are nice and sometimes Tommy talks to them.

Techno is the quietest. He gave up on ignoring Tommy after the teen kept following him. Techno teaches Tommy about survival every once in a while. Tommy has started to look up to him.

And the other person he talks to is his brother, Wilbur. The two are half of the time bickering, the other half talking. As much as Tommy says he doesn’t, he values Wilbur’s judgment a lot. 

After one week, Tommy honestly forgot to count; the food is not as good as it used to be. Instead of fruits, there were biscuits, dried beans and salted beef. 

It’s in one of these days that Tommy is running across the boat, chasing Wilbur. The other occupants are already used to this, not batting an eye. Tommy starts to run faster, almost reaching his brother. The two stop abruptly when they almost run into Techno.

Tommy tries to grab Wilbur, but the other just jumps away. Tommy huffs, and Techno raises an eyebrow.

“What happened?” He asked in his monotone voice. As Tommy knows more about the man, he can recognize a bit of amusement in his tone.

“This bastard took my biscuit!” Tommy points to Wilbur. The man doesn’t answer, too caught up munching something. Tommy frowns when he realizes the man is eating said biscuit. “Hey!” Tommy never wanted to punch someone as hard as he wants to now.

Techno analyzes the situation. Tommy just keeps on glaring at Wilbur. “Techno, tell Wilbur to stop stealing my food”  
Techno looks at Tommy, then at Wilbur, and then at Tommy again. “I’m sorry, Tommy. I see no biscuit, so your statement must be false”

Tommy gasps. “Betrayal!” He shouts. 

Wilbur is just laughing at him. All while eating the biscuit. What a bastard. 

“If it makes you feel any better, you can have a biscuit again tomorrow” Techno says offhandedly.

Tommy glares lightly at Techno. “It doesn’t” 

The man just shrugs. He leaves, and Tommy and Wilbur are alone. Wilbur finally finishes eating the damn biscuit.

“What now?” Tommy asks, crossing his arms. 

Wilbur shrugs. “Guess we’ll just wait”

The two move to lean against the wood. They look out and see the same blue, extending to every direction.  
“I’m starting to get bored of it” Tommy admits. “I’d do anything for a change of scenario”

“We’ll get to L’manberg soon enough” Wilbur reassures Tommy, ruffling his hair. He then turns to look to the ocean. “It will all be worth it in the end. They say the land we’re going to is full of opportunities. It has lush grass, lots of space.” Wilbur gives his brother a hopeful smile. “We can build a house there, Tommy. We can be free” Wilbur’s smile gains a sad tint*. “More free than we’ve ever been” 

Tommy smiles as well, trying to share his brother’s optimism. But deep down, he is a bit afraid. Afraid of change, afraid of whatever is out there, waiting for them. It doesn’t stop Tommy’s excitement, oh no, but Tommy can never be truly happy. Always hesitant, always waiting for the minute their dreams will be crushed.

He ignores these thoughts for now. “I hope that land will be as good as you say” Tommy says sincerely. He then adds on a dramatic groan. “We’ve been here forever, it better be literal heaven”. Wilbur laughs at his antics, and Tommy laughs as well.  


* * *

It’s a few days from then. The ship is going to stop in an island close to the mainland. When Wilbur tells him this, Tommy is overjoyed. He’d find a reason to leave the ship! Don’t get him wrong, the idea of an adventure is amazing, but the ship was getting pretty boring.

Tommy is bouncing in place. Wilbur sighs. “Tommy?” 

Tommy glances at Wilbur for a second before looking back at the approaching land. “Yes?”

“I don’t want you getting lost, so you’ll have to promise to stick by my side the whole time.”

Tommy furrows his brow. “But then I’ll miss out on all the fun!”

Wilbur looks at Tommy sternly. “That will be our agreement. I won’t settle for anything less.”

“Please, Wilbur?” Tommy gives his brother puppy eyes.

“No” His brother says with an air of finality.

“Fine” Tommy crosses his arms. “What a killjoy”

Wilbur takes Tommy’s arm and they go out of the ship. Most people have already left the ship as well. 

As they’re walking, Tommy looks around in wonder. The houses here are way more rustic than the ones back at home. The place has also a lot of greenery, trees and flowers everywhere.

They eventually get to a market place. Wilbur goes to a stand and buys two apples. Tommy grins when one is offered to him, taking a big bite. While he’s munching, Wilbur talks to the shopkeeper.

“People say there’s a beautiful cave around here It’s close to the water.” The shopkeeper points to a direction. “However, my friend went to visit and never got back. Could you help me find him?”

“Sure, I can go” Wilbur says. Tommy raises an eyebrow. Is Wilbur about to help a stranger without asking for money? His loss.  
The shopkeeper thanks him. Wilbur starts to walk away, and Tommy follows behind him.

“Tommy.” Wilbur turns around and looks pointedly at his brother. “Stay here, I’ll be right back.”

Tommy huffs. “Why can’t I go with you?”

“If there’s something dangerous, I don’t want you getting hurt.” Wilbur then looks at him with a serious expression. “If I don’t go back here in a few hours, go back to the ship.”

“I am a big man! Danger is my middle name!”

Wilbur’s expression doesn’t change. Tommy sighs, crossing his arms.

“Fine. I’ll wait for you” Tommy relents.

Wilbur smiles at him. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back before you know it.” And with that, Wilbur starts to walk away.

Tommy stays a few moments in place, looking at Wilbur’s retreating back. When the man is far enough, Tommy starts to follow him. Did he really think Tommy wouldn’t? What a loser.

Whenever Wilbur glances back, Tommy hides behind a person. The two start getting farther and farther away from the marketplace. There are a few close calls, where Wilbur turns around and almost sees Tommy. In one of those, Tommy hides behind a house.

When he goes to peek out, however, Wilbur is gone. Tommy stares disbelievingly at the spot Wilbur just disappeared from. The man is gone, just like that.

Tommy goes in direction he thought Wilbur was going to. He walks, but he can’t seem to find his brother anywhere. The teen takes a moment to sigh, looking at the trees around. This place is so big; he might never find his brother.

Tommy suddenly feels determined. “They don’t call me TommyInnit for nothing” Tommy mutters. He’s going to find his brother.  
He takes a moment to listen. He hears waves crashing in the distance. He follows that direction. Soon enough he’s on the beach.

“Now, to find the cave…” Tommy looks around and sees a strange rock formation. He follows it, and eventually finds the cave. Tommy grins. “That’s easier than I thought it would be!”

Tommy goes in. There is sand, and part of the cave is submerged by water. There are a few rocks above water. Tommy’s eyes widen when he sees someone lying on them. 

He takes a step towards the rock, but freezes when his foot meets water. Right, he’ll have to swim to get there. Tommy looks uncertainly at the person. They seem to be unconscious. Tommy sighs and dives into the water.

The water is cold, making Tommy gasp. He doesn’t take the time to adjust to the temperature, instead swimming to the rock. When he gets close, he can see the person with more detail. He frown when he realizes it’s Wilbur.

“Wilbur!” Tommy shouts. He gets up in the rock, sitting beside his brother. “Wake up!” Tommy shakes Wilbur. He is starting to grow desperate. What if his brother doesn’t wake up?

He then hears a groan, and Wilbur turns a bit. Tommy’s shoulders sag with relief. 

“Wilbur, get up” Tommy gently makes the man sit up.

The man coughs. He then opens his eyes slowly. “Tommy?” Wilbur asks. His eyes are glossed over.

“It’s me. We have to get back to the ship” Tommy takes a step back and moves into the water.

“Oh… right” Wilbur moves to go underwater as well, but his movements are sluggish.

“Wilbur, are you sure you can swim?” Tommy asks. He doesn’t want his brother to drown on the way back.

Wilbur waves him off and goes into the water. There is a moment when his head is submerged and Tommy fears he’ll drown. And then his brother manages to keep himself above water. Tommy sighs in relief, but keeps close in case the man feels unwell. The two swim back to the beach.

“How are you feeling?” Tommy asks. The two start to walk in the direction he assumes the boat is. He keeps a steading hand on Wilbur’s shoulder, as it seems the man might fall over any second.

“Not feeling so well actually” Wilbur gives Tommy a forced smile. “I must have fallen in the water. Silly me!” 

The teen feels as if Wilbur isn’t telling him everything. However, it doesn’t seem like his brother wants to tell everything, so he lets it go. 

The two managed to get back on the ship. Tommy makes Wilbur lie down, trying to encourage the man to rest. His brother falls asleep almost instantly. Tommy’s brows furrow. He’s worried for his brother.

Everyone then comes back to the ship. They set sail. Tommy sits beside Wilbur. The man doesn’t seem to want to wake up anytime soon. Tommy sighs. He closes his eyes, and lets sleep overcome him.

* * *

The few days after they got back on the ship were hard. Wilbur starting acting weird. His brother would ignore him sometimes, too caught up in his own thoughts. Sometimes, he’d whimper in pain. Tommy would offer a hug, and Wilbur would always refuse. It’s as if the man didn’t want him around. Wilbur wouldn’t even let anyone check him over for wounds.

One of these days , Tommy is sitting down beside his brother. The man then starts whimpering, eyes closed.  
“Wilbur, what is it?” Tommy asks. His brother never told him anything. Tommy is genuinely worried.

“It’s nothing” Wilbur grits out. The man then clutches his chest, gasping. 

“Wilbur, it’s not nothing. Let me help” Tommy reaches for Wilbur, laying a hand on his shoulder. The next moments happen in a flash.

Tommy feels pain blossoming in his hand. He looks down, and sees scratching marks. He looks towards Wilbur again when he hears the man hiss. He hardly looks like his brother. The man’s eyes are animalistic and he’s holding his hand defensively in front of him.

Tommy’s hand stings. He feels a few tears pool in his eyes. He rubs them off, because he’s not a little kid, he shouldn’t cry. He feels someone touching his arm, and hastily looks up at his brother.

Wilbur’s eyes are full of regret. “Tommy, I’m so sorry, I-”

“It’s fine” Tommy rips Wilbur’s hand away from him. The man keeps looking at him with a guilty expression. It seems like Wilbur wants to reach out to him again, but Tommy leaves before Wilbur has the chance. He’ll find another place to stay.

* * *

On another day, a week or so from this moment, they are standing in the same spot. Techno moves to greet them.  
“We’re going to be coming close to an island” Techno says, moving to stand beside them. He also stares at the horizon, as if looking for something. The sky isn’t as blue anymore, clouds cover the sun.

“Will we stop there?” Wilbur asks.

“No. They say that ships who get too close sink” The two brothers look at Techno with horror. “It’s the fastest way. Besides, we won’t stop at the island, we’ll go around it”

“What if there’s a sea monster or something that sink ships?” Tommy asks, looking worriedly at the man.

“Do you honest believe in monsters, Tommy?” Wilbur asks, eyebrow raised. “They don’t exist. But there might be something with rock formations or pirates” Wilbur then looks at Techno with an expression of uncertainty. “Are you sure we can’t go another way?”

“The other way would take at least two more weeks. We might not have enough food then” Techno says.

Tommy’s brows furrow. If it isn’t enough for the trip to be boring, now it’s dangerous. Techno moves to tell other people the news, and the mood on the boat darkens. They all just want to get to the place as quickly as possible, and not die in the process. Is that too much to ask?

Tommy stares on as the sky closes around them. The clouds are heavy with rain, and Tommy has the suspicion it’s about to have a storm.

The ship goes on, and the previously calm sea prepares to release its fury. Tommy gulps. Everything quiets around them. Tommy feels as if everyone is collectively holding their breaths. It’s happening.

The calm before the storm.


	2. The eye of the storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here comes another chapter! Once again, I'm going to use 'siren', so please be patient.

They were right. The weather isn’t good. It starting to rain, and the ship is swaying with the waves. Some people are vomiting from all the shaking, others are holding onto something to hold themselves up.

Tommy feels as if the ship is going to break beneath him. The wood creaks beneath his feet, and Tommy holds the structures to prevent himself from falling. The sky is almost completely dark, and a dark feeling settles in his gut. This is the closest he’s ever been to death.

People are inside, as the rain is pouring heavily from the sky. Most of the people are already wet, though. Tommy is also shaking, trying to keep himself warm. The teen is sure that if they survive this, he is definitely coming with a fever.

Wilbur sits beside him, rubbing his back gently. Tommy is scared, but he doesn’t want to admit it. He needs to keep a strong persona, or he’ll just bring the mood down.

“We’ll be fine” Tommy declares, staring defiantly to the outside. Some people don’t even bother to glance at him, or are too busy to notice him.

Wilbur runs a hand through his brother’s hair. “You don’t have to be strong” He tells Tommy. “Everyone is scared. It’s okay to be scared”

“But I don’t wanna die like a coward” Tommy says, bringing his legs closer to him. They’re currently sitting on the floor, huddling together.

“Tommy” Wilbur holds Tommy’s hand. “No matter what happens, know that I’m here with you”

Tommy feels tears run down his face. He rubs them away, because he can’t be weak, he can’t be vulnerable, he can’t be hurt again. But when Wilbur hugs him, he lets all the tears run out. He asks Wilbur why they have to go through so much stuff, why he can’t just be a happy kid, why does trouble always follow him. Wilbur just rubs circles on Tommy’s back, whispering soft reassurances. 

The two stay like that for a few minutes. Tommy eventually calms down, and the two part from the hug. Wilbur keeps a steading hand on his shoulder. They listen to the storm outside, praying everything will go well.

Everyone in the boat is tense. They can’t do anything except wait it out. And then, a voice cuts through the silence.

“I heard there was a special place

Where men could go and emancipate”

Some people begin to look up. Tommy looks at his brother with amazement.

“The brutality

And the tyranny

Of their rulers”

All people in the room are now looking towards Wilbur. The man’s hands are shaking, but he keeps his voice calm. His voice is beautiful.

“Well, this place is real

You needn’t fret

With Wilbur, Tommy, Jack and Eret”

With that, Quackity rolls his eyes, but otherwise stays quiet.

“It’s a very big 

And not blown up L’manberg”

Wilbur then stands up, looking around the room with a calm gaze. People look at him as if in a daze.

“My L’manberg

My L’manberg

My L’manberg”

Wilbur puts a hand on Tommy’s shoulder. The teen gets the message and joins in.

“My L’manberg”

The two then stops singing. The room is engulfed with silence, everyone looking at the brothers. And then, they hear slow clapping.

Tommy looks towards the end of the room and sees Techno, also standing up. The man is wearing his usual expression, but continues to clap slowly.

Quackity joins in, and then the whole room claps for Wilbur. The man smiles. Tommy grins as well, happy that his brother managed to cheer everyone up. 

“Let’s sing it together?” Wilbur asks, looking around the room.

Some people seem more excited than others. Tommy decides to start. The other join in on the singing. It’s not tuned up, but they couldn’t care less. 

“Our L’manberg” They sing together by the end. They give each other smiles. Tommy feels a warm feeling in his heart. It’s like the singing calmed the storm.

Tommy then frowns. Why isn’t he hearing the storm? Tommy gets up and walks to the door. A few people sent questioning glances at him, but Tommy ignores them. Opening the door, he sees it’s still dark out but there isn’t a sign of rain.  
Tommy touches the wood. It’s not even wet. How?

He gets back in the room. “The rain stopped” He said. There’s a moment of silence, then a loud cheer. People begin happily chatting with each other, and it’s like the storm never came. 

Tommy leaves the room again to look outside. He leans on the railings, looking down at the sea. The water is dark and murky. Tommy sees something move from the corner of his eyes. He looks towards that direction, but sees nothing. The waters are completely still. Tommy is nervous, but forces himself to relax. It’s probably nothing.

People start going out as well. They’re laughing. They’ve never felt so relieved than on that moment. Tommy closes his eyes, and listens to the sounds around him. Laughter, the soft sound of the waves, singing…

Wait. Tommy opens his eyes. Singing?

Tommy looks back to the group, but it seemed nobody realized. “Hey!” Tommy shouts, getting their attention. “Can any of you hear singing?”

There is a tense silence. People look at each other.

“I can” Jack says. “It’s coming from faraway”

Eret nods. Wilbur hesitates, and then nods as well. Soon, it’s clear everyone can hear the singing. 

It’s starting to sound closer. It’s like the music is coming from everywhere. Tommy looks nervously at the horizon.

“It’s beautiful” Wilbur says, turning to the water. His back is turned to Tommy, so he can’t see the man’s expression.

People are seemingly entranced by the song. Tommy can’t help but be nervous. What is happening? He looks at the water, and is surprised to find a woman swimming.

“Hey!” Tommy shouts. “Are you ok?”

The woman just smiles. “Come closer~” She purrs. Tommy frowns, taking a step back. He goes to warn the group, but jumps back as someone falls in the water. Tommy runs to see who fell. The woman gets closer and drags them down. Tommy’s eyes widen.

“It’s a siren!” Tommy shouts. When he turns back, no one is listening to him, all in a trance. Tommy runs to find Wilbur, but his brother isn’t anywhere. “Wilbur!” He shouts, hoping to catch the man’s attention. 

Someone grabs his arm and he screams. “Let me go!” He shouts, throwing punches.

“Tommy” A voice says, and he recognizes it as Technoblade’s. He stops struggling. 

“There are sirens!” He exclaims. Techno grabs him by the arm and starts dragging him to somewhere.

“I know” Techno says.

“What can we do?” They stop at the edge of the ship. Tommy looks down. The teen can see a smaller boat tied to the ship. He looks up again, and Techno’s eyes have a strange glint. “Techno?” Tommy asks nervously.

Suddenly, Techno throws him off the ship. Tommy falls down, and feels the sting of betrayal. However, instead of falling to the water, he falls into the smaller boat. The fall hurt, but Tommy just looks confusedly up at Techno.

“What are you doing?” Tommy asks with indignation.

“The ship is about to sink. Your best option is to leave" 

Tommy glares at him. “I still have to save Wilbur! He needs my help!”

“There’s nothing you can do to help" Tommy moves to speak but Techno interrupts him. “It’s your time to go now, kid"

“What are you-" Tommy is interrupted when Techno takes out his sword and cuts the rope. He is falling with the boat, with all speed towards water. 

The boat hits the water, and Tommy slams to the wood. Everything hurts. Tommy's body hurts with every breath, and he can only stay still, trying to stop the pain. 

Breath in, breath out. Tommy closes his eyes. He can hear screams ring in the air. His breathing quickens. He keeps his eyes closed, not having the courage to open them. 

The screams die out. He manages to control his breathing. He keeps his eyes closed. There is only silence around him.  
He eventually opens them. The sky above is dark and cloudy. He ever so carefully gets up. The ship is creaking loudly. He looks to the water, but doesn’t see anything moving. 

He looks to the boat he’s in. He finds a paddle and grips it tightly. He does his best to quieten his breathing. Everything is completely silent around him. It’s like the whole world is trying to hold its breath. 

Tommy eventually manages to calm down. He looks down to the deep waters. Tentatively, he touches it with the paddle, jumping back as if something was going to jump off the water. When nothing happens, he starts paddling away.

Tommy doesn’t know where he’s going, he just knows he needs to get out of here as quickly as possible. He paddles on, and it seems he isn’t getting anywhere. The only proof of the distance he went is the ship, getting smaller and smaller.

The teen eventually gets so far he can’t see it. He feels a mix of relief and fear. He looks around him. The dark sky barely lets him see his feet. He gets as comfortable as he can, and starts taking the boat even further.

Tommy has no way of how to measure time. The only thing that gives him a lead is the sky, and it seems like it’s never changing. Tommy starts to grow restless. He feels like he’s moving towards his doom with each passing second. He can’t see anything on the horizon. He might be paddling to his death, and he would never even now.

Tommy’ stomach rumbles. Tommy groans in frustration. Even worse yet, he can have a slow death, eventually running out of food and water. Tommy checks his pockets for anything useful. He only finds one cracked biscuit. He sighs, eating it. He will die of hunger, that is if sirens don’t kill him first. 

One of those things killing him doesn’t even sound so bad right now. His stomach hurts, he doesn’t have water, he just lost everything he loves, and he’s stuck in the middle of nowhere. You know, the usual.

Tommy takes a minute to look at the sky. He feels like life is mocking him. Giving him an opportunity only to rip it away from him. Tommy’s eyes dull*. He's used to this, why did he think it’d be any different?

Tommy knows he should paddle, look for help. But he doesn’t have the energy to. His whole body hurts, and he feels horrible. Against his better reasoning, he feels his eyes close. He is enveloped in a dreamless sleep.

* * *

When he opens his eyes again, the sun is already up. He moves to get up, but his whole body screams in protest. Tommy groans, lying down again. 

He closes his eyes. He moves a hand up to shield his eyes from the sun. He sighs, trying to get into a more comfortable position.   
Eventually, he gets up. His whole body is sore, Tommy feels life he slept on bricks. He grabs the paddle, and prepares for another stressful day.

So imagine his surprise when he looks up and sees an island. Tommy gasps. It’s a quite big island. He analyzes the distance between him and the island. He could probably get there in less than an hour.

Tommy starts paddling with new found vigor. He ignores the pain and exhaustion, just focuses on moving. It’s his only hope.

Tommy gets closer to the island. He smiles brightly. He has a bit of hope left! He goes as fast as he can towards the island, not carrying about anything else. 

If he did slow down, however, he wouldn’t have bumped full force into a rock. He wouldn’t have shaken from the impact. His boat wouldn’t be sinking. He would still be paddling happily. But he didn’t slow down, and now he’s in the water.

Tommy would say he’s a pretty good swimmer. There was a lake near where he lived, and he went there frequently. He would laugh and splash his brother, swimming away when the other would fight back. 

It’s nothing compared to now. Now he’s moving desperately to keep himself above water. Tommy eventually manages to start swimming. He’s doing his best to get near the island. It’s not that far, but the teen isn’t exactly in shape right now.

He gets close to the beach. Tommy would say it’s about 50 meters away. He swims closer, not taking the time to examine his surroundings. That’s what got him in the water in the first place, and that was what didn’t let Tommy see someone approaching until they were 10 feet from him.

“Hey!” Someone shouts, and Tommy startles. He tries to keep floating in place and looks towards the voice. It comes from a man that seemed to be on his thirties. He has blond hair and no shirt. Hey, they’re in the water, Tommy won’t judge.

“Who are you?” Tommy asks, screaming.

“I’m Phil" The man says in a much more comfortable tone of voice.

“That’s great and all, but I’m trying not to die here" Tommy shouts, still not lowering his voice. 

“I can help you!” Phil swims closer.

“I can do it myself" And Tommy starts swimming back to the beach.

Tommy ignored the man, focusing on getting closer to the sand. Phil only swims after him. Tommy huffs when the man gets even closer.

“Shoo! Let me suffer in peace" 

“I can help you! You just need to come closer!”

Tommy decides to ignore him, swimming towards the beach. He’s about 25 meters away. Tommy stops when the man grabs his arm. He struggles to keep himself above water.

“What are you doing man? Let me go!” With all his kicking to keep himself up, he kicks Phil’s legs by accident. Or in this case, his tail. Tommy freezes. No way he could be that unlucky.

“Stay still, mate. It will be easier for you if you don’t try to swim away" Phil says, as if talking to a disobedient child. As if that wasn’t creepy. Tommy kicks at the siren, trying to make him let go of his arm.

“Shh. I need you to stop moving for me" Phil says calmly. Tommy gets a bright idea. He immediately goes slack.

The siren smiles. “See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” The siren brings him closer by the arm, and Tommy takes his chance to take his arm out of the water and punch the creature in the face. It wasn’t expecting the hit, letting go of him.

Tommy uses his chance to swim to the closest dry land possible. In this case, he climbed on a rock. Tommy tries to be as far away from the edge of the water as possible. He looks for something to protect himself with, and settles for the best he could find, a sharp rock.

Tommy stays still. Maybe the siren will give up on him. Not likely, but he could dream, right? 

Tommy looks for the siren but doesn’t find it. Maybe it really left. Tommy stays put for some more time, listening to the sounds around him. There are birds singing, the gentle sound of the waves. And apparently no siren in sight. Tommy feels himself relax slightly.

… And that’s all it took for things to get worse again. Tommy shrieks as he fells a hand pull him into the water. He takes a sharp breath, feeling water enter his lungs. He kicks and tries desperately to keep himself above water.

Looking down, Tommy sees the submerged siren. The thing is holding his feet. Its green eyes look pointedly at him, and Tommy can see sharp teeth when it opens its mouth. Tommy waits for the thing to come above water.

It doesn’t seem to want to, though. Tommy then lifts his right hand into the air and brings it down with his full force. It’s not enough to break a bone but enough to shatter skin, and the thing screeches, releasing him.

Tommy then swims with all his energy to the shore. He screams in happiness when he feels his feet touch solid ground, and the moment he’s out of water, he drops down into the sand. He giggles hysterically. He survived!

There is sand in every piece of his clothes. However, Tommy couldn’t care less, and even rolls on it. He shouts as loudly as he can, thanking his luck and cursing the creature. When he finally gets up and starts to calm down he takes one last look at the water. He’s surprised to find the siren near the edge of the water, staring at him irritably. 

Tommy gulps and begins running towards the three line. He pants and looks back. Thankfully, the siren couldn’t walk in land. If they could, Tommy wouldn’t stand a chance.

Tommy sits down, hoping to catch his breath. He lets himself rest. He closes his eyes, and before he can open them again, he falls unconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I already began writing the third chapter as soon as I finished this one. I had a good part of it done. I had to turn of the computer for someone to fix it, because it was having some problems.   
> However, I realized that I lost so much stuff. I apparently forgot to save it before turning it off. I’m now going to have to rewrite this fanfic and another one I was working on. Not to mention I lost some of my works from school.  
> So, this day wasn’t exactly the brightest. Thanks for listening to the ranting, and for reading the story in the first place. I hope you all have a good day :)


	3. Riptide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter. I have to warn you, the ending might be a little weird

When he wakes up, the siren isn’t anywhere near him. Good.

Tommy gets up slowly, his body screaming in protest. As much as he wants to lie down forever, he needs to find food and water.

He first looks for any signs someone was here. Venturing to the forest probably isn’t his brightest idea, but he’ll die if he doesn’t get water. He wants to look for a stream or something. He asks for whatever God is out there to let him find one.

For some miracle, he actually found a stream. It’s the first time he was lucky in weeks, so he lets himself celebrate.

He has a reliable water source. Now all he needs is food. And maybe some way to purify the water. And a shelter. Ok, he still need more stuff.

It seems his luck has turned, because he actually found an abandoned cabin. And abandoned cabin! He searches through it. All food the cabin has is rotten. It seems there even was a small garden, but it is overgrown.

Tommy examined the place. Someone must have been living here. He finds a bottle. He decides it’s probably enough to gather water with.

He goes back to the stream and fills it. He comes back to the house. He needs to boil the water right? For that he needs a fire pit.

Tommy spends the next hour or so gathering sticks. After the day is over, he is sure he will sleep for at least twelve hours.

He then tries to make a campfire. It’s not exactly pretty, but it does its job. Now he only needs something to light it. Tommy wonders how he’ll do that task. He then allows himself to hope. Maybe he will find a lighter.

And Tommy allows himself to believe life loves him, as he does find a working lighter. It may have left him to suffer alone in a desert island, but at least he has the materials to prevent his death.

Tommy's mood dampens at the idea that his sudden luck only serves to make him suffer further. Not letting him die, instead making his days painful and alone. Tommy shakes these thoughts off. It would do no good being pessimistic.

But anyway, Tommy boils the water. After waiting for about seven minutes, he drinks it. The water feels heavenly. It soothes Tommy’s aches in a way he didn’t think was possible.

Tommy’s stomach hurts. He sighs. Now, he only needs to find food. There seems to be a tree with some fruits just outside. Are they edible? Well, it seems like Tommy will have to find out the hard way.

Tommy grabs a fruit and eats it. It has a weird texture. It’s not a fruit he’s seen before. Tommy hopes he’s not going to drop dead. When some minutes pass and he’s still well, he eats more. Now his stomach is full, he drank water, and he is exhausted from his long day. He goes to the cabin. He finds a bed. It’s dusty, but Tommy couldn’t care less. He falls into unconsciousness as soon as his head hits the pillow.

* * *

Tommy wakes up late the next day. His body feels a lot better than before. That doesn’t mean his actions didn’t have consequences. Eating so much after going hungry for weeks didn’t sit well with his stomach. His body made sure he knew that, making him throw up repeatedly. When Tommy finally feels better, he promises himself to take it easy.

He has all the basic things for survival. Now he only needs to go to the beach and leave a sign. If there were any ships passing, they might rescue him.  
Deep down, he knew no ships would come. They would be attacked by sirens or storms. Tommy is bound to stay stuck here forever. Tommy pushes these thoughts to the back of his mind. However, his mood still dampens.

When he gets to the beach, be starts looking for rocks and sticks. After some time, he manages them in a sign. It says ‘HELP'. Tommy is sure whoever finds it will get the message. Even if it’s a little hard to read. Okay, maybe it’s almost impossible, but surely someone should understand his sign.

Tommy feels filthy. He was already used to the bad smell after spending so long in the boat. He was also used to not showering. But now he had the chance to. Tommy lets himself enjoy the water. He takes his shoes off, leaving them on the beach.

He takes one step into the water. It’s cold, and Tommy shivers. That’s not going to stop him. He takes another step, and then another. Tommy eventually ends up waist-deep* into the water.

He lowers his body into the water. The cold stings, but Tommy tells himself he can get used to it. He’s a big man, after all.

He eventually gets used to the temperature. He might catch a fever later, but he doesn’t worry about that in the moment. That’s a problem for future Tommy.  
For now, he just wants to relax. He closes his eyes. Only him, Phil, and the sea. Wait, Phil? Tommy opens them again and sure enough, the siren is staying less than 10 feet away from him.

“Look man; please leave me alone" Tommy begs. He is so tired of having his life constantly threatened. 

Philza rolls his eyes. “I said I don’t want to hurt you"

“It sure didn’t seem like it, when you pulled me underwater by my feet.” Tommy spats bitterly. He’s not about to forgive some siren because they said they’re harmless.

“I just needed you to stay put" Philza says, swimming by his side. “If it took grabbing you to do it, then it’s what I’ll have to do"

Tommy glares at him and starts swimming back. Philza swims past him, standing between him and the beach. Tommy groans. Of course the siren would do that. Why wouldn’t he?

“What do you even want with me?” Tommy asks irritably.

Phil comes closer, reaching out his hand. Tommy steps back. Philza stops, opting to stay in place.

“I want to protect you" Philza claims. “It’s a harsh and unforgiving world. A kid shouldn’t be alone in these conditions”

Tommy rolls his eyes. “I’m not a kid" Tommy tries to move past Phil but the siren only blocks him again. Tommy huffs. “And I don’t need to be protected"

“You're still small, even for a human" Phil swims forward and Tommy tries to swim back. The siren is faster, and he cups Tommy's cheek gently. Tommy freezes. He is understandably not comfortable with being vulnerable with a siren. “Where is your family? Shouldn’t they be taking care of you?”

Tommy tries to ignore his fear, forcing himself to glare. “You killed my only family" This fact only starts to sink in. “He was the only person I had left, and you murdered him" Tommy starts to cry. He tries to hide it; he doesn’t want a siren’s pity.

The siren completely disregards his thoughts, bringing him closer. Tommy freezes, but Phil only rubs circles on Tommy’s back. “Don’t cry~" Phil coos. Tommy feels his body relax against his will. Phil's voice is so calming…

Tommy leans further into Phil. The siren holds him tighter. Tommy feels his eyes close. He feels as if he should be afraid, but Phil’s soft reassurances lower his guard.  
Tommy’s eyes snap open when he feels water covering his head. He holds his breath, trying to pry himself away from Phil. The siren, however, is holding him tightly, one hand on his head, the other holding Tommy’s shoulder.

Tommy’s eyes sting when he tries to keep them open. He sees Phil looking down at him. The siren is saying something, but Tommy can’t understand the words. He desperately tries to swim away.

Tommy is beginning to lose oxygen. If he doesn’t breathe in the next seconds, he’ll drown. Tommy decides that he needs to do all in his power to leave and bites down as hard as he can on Phil’s hand. 

The siren releases its hold. Tommy can feel water in his mouth, and swims to the surface. He spits the water out, taking a deep breath. He then hurriedly swims away from Phil. 

The water is below his waist now. He is running as fast as he can. He hears Phil calling his name. It only makes him run faster.

Tommy manages to leave the water. He doesn’t stop there, running his way to the cabin. He takes out his shirt and leaves it to dry. He doesn’t want to dirty the bed, so he sleeps on the floor. He spends the night shivering, with nightmares of drowning.

* * *

Tommy starts to get used to life on the island. The days blend together. He gathers food, be it fish or fruits. He also boils his water, and sleeps. It’s the same thing over and over again.

Tommy is starting to get used to the forest sounds. A fox running away, a bird chirping, a twig snapping. He starts to get quieter. There’s no need to speak, after all. No one could hear him.

He began feeling weird. He’d feel a lot of pain in his legs, sometimes in his chest. His skin is always dry, and it itches. 

He stated going more to the stream. The pain would fade away, and sometimes he stayed for hours in the water. He also found he could hold his breath for a lot longer now. He guesses it’s from almost being drowned multiple times.

Tommy’s biggest fear was the sea. Every time he came, Phil was always close by. Tommy doesn’t know why the siren is so insistent. He must be starving if he can’t just let one human go.

That doesn’t prevent Tommy from going to the beach. He still comes every few days. Tommy wonders why.

Deep down, he knows he still needs company. He’s been strained on this island for quite some time. The only company he has is Phil. Even if the siren is trying to kill him, Tommy appreciates the company. He thinks this isn’t normal. However, it’s not like he has a choice.

One of these days he’s sitting at the beach. He sat on the water. The water is really low, only reaching his feet. As always, Phil is there to stare at him. Tommy ignores him, used to his presence. He just plays in the water with his hands. Philza looks hesitant.

“Tommy" Philza calls. 

Tommy looks up, but doesn’t move closer. “Yes?” He asks quietly. It’s really different to how he used to be, loud and confident.

“You know there are other clothes at the closet, right?”

Tommy stares at him blankly. “What closet?” He asks offhandedly.

Philza shots him a disappointed look. If Tommy didn’t know any better, he’d say he looks like a disappointed father. “You know what I’m talking about. You could have never survived this long if you didn’t find my cabin"

“Your cabin?” Tommy asks, curiosity slipping into his tone. “Were you a human once?”

Phil gives him a cryptic smile. Tommy huffs. Of course the siren wouldn’t tell him anything. Why would he?

Tommy guesses he doesn’t have any more reason to stay here. He gets up, wrinkling his wet clothes.

“Tommy" Phil calls. Tommy turns to look at the man, impatient. Phil gives him a sincere look. “I… sometimes I like to think of you as my son" 

Tommy feels like he should freeze, but he only feels numb. He lets a light irritation run through him. “What kind of sick father kills his children?” Tommy doesn’t wait for an answer. As quickly as he came, he’s gone.

* * *

Tommy has never felt so alone. The island is empty. His only company is the animals. And Phil.

Tommy’s memories start to fade. He can’t remember the name of people in the ship anymore. He guesses it’s good he doesn’t, since it’d be no use. They’re all dead, after all.

And he can’t remember his past. All his trauma, all the memories he’s tried so hard to suppress. They’re gone, just like that. Tommy feels like he should be grateful. He only feels numb.

Phil is the only real person he can talk to. Well, the closest thing he has to a person. Phil treats him kindly. He gives him stern words when he does something wrong, and sweet words when he follows his orders.

Tommy feels an urge to come into the water. He doesn’t, because he knows it would be certain death for him. But he still considers it every time he goes to visit.  
One of the reasons being he hasn’t had physical affection for so long. He can’t remember what his friend’s hugs felt like. He never remembers if his parents even gave him affection. Phil is like a father figure to him. The man acts like he cares, and Tommy still remembers when he gave Tommy affectionate gestures. They were always underlined by the threat of the water, the threat of drowning if he were to get too close. But Tommy couldn’t forget the affections, even if they were fake.

And the other reason being that same threat of death. Tommy has been on this island too long. He lost everything. He’s got nothing to live for. He only survives, keeping himself alive while keeping his thoughts away. Tommy started getting numb to the pain. The sea calls to him, sweet promises of release. Tommy always finds himself in the edge of the water, considering giving up. At least Phil might have a use for his body. If Tommy had to die by anyone, he’d rather it be by Phil.

It’s one if these days, that Tommy walks towards the beach. His expression is blank, but he walks with resolution. No more of this hell. Tommy lets his feeling slip away, becoming numb.

He takes a step towards the water. And then another. And another.

Tommy's waist is submerged by water. His hands start to shake. He keeps walking.

Soon enough, the water comes to Tommy’s neck. He is surprised he hasn’t seen Phil yet. He stares blankly at the ocean. The ocean he has been stuck in for so many months. The ocean he's stuck in now.

Tommy closes his eyes. He says his goodbyes, and prepares to dive into the water.

“Tommy?” A voice calls.

Tommy slowly looks up, expecting to see Phil. His eyes widen when he realizes who it is. It can’t be… “Wil?” He whispers.

His brother is there in the water, looking at him with amazement. It can’t be. Wilbur’s dead, Tommy saw Wilbur die. The emotions Tommy’s tried so hard to hold in come rushing at him. His eyes are full of tears, and Tommy doesn’t stop them.

“Tommy!” His brother screams, holding his arms open. Tommy understands the gesture and comes swimming towards him, throwing himself in his arms. Tommy lets himself sob. Wilbur rubs his back and whispers soft reassurances.

Tommy grips at Wilbur. He has to know that this is real, that it isn’t just a dream. Tommy has dreamed of this day so many times before.

“Oh Tommy" Wilbur whispers, tears on his eyes as well. “I missed you so much"

Tommy keeps hugging Wilbur, too afraid to let go. He feels that if he releases his brother he’d be gone and this would all be just a dream. 

The two stay like that for a few seconds. Tommy eventually starts to regain his bearings. His mind is more active than it has ever been these past few weeks. He takes it all in, every little detail about his brother.

Tommy starts to get uncomfortable in his position. Not that hugging his brother isn’t great, but it’s hard to in water. Tommy sometimes feels the water coming up to his nose.

Tommy stills. He realizes something. Tommy kicks his brother’s feet.

Except his brother doesn’t have feet.

Instead, he has a long tail.

Tommy curses whatever God is out there. 

The siren seems to realize his hesitance. “What’s the matter, Tommy?” Wilbur- no, this thing taking Wilbur’s form, asks. When the thing speaks, Tommy can see its sharp teeth.

Tommy gulps. Keep calm. “I… I forgot something on the shore. I need to get it back" He tries to push away, but the siren holds tightly onto him.

“So soon?” The siren buries its head in Tommy’s hair.

“Yeah… I’m sorry, but I have to go" Every attempt at getting away leads to the thing tightening its grip, to the point where Tommy cannot move. “Please let go… It hurts" Tommy whimpers.

The siren doesn’t listen to him. “Why Tommy, I’ve only got you back. I can’t let you go now. What if I lose you?” The monster looks at him with fondness. There is, however, a hint of malice carefully hidden. Tommy can see the crazed look in its eyes, and it does nothing to diminish his fears.

“Please. You’re not my Wilbur" The thing grips him tighter, if that’s possible. Tommy gasps in pain when its claws dig into his flesh.

“I’m still your Wilbur, Tommy" Wilbur takes Tommy’s head and pulls it to look towards him. “Nothing that happens will change that, remember?”

Wilbur then brings him closer as if in a hug. Tommy is shaking. “I’ve been looking for you for so long, Tommy. I knew I would find you eventually”. The siren gives him an insane smile. “I’m free, Tommy! Just like what we wanted!” The thing starts to laugh. “I’m free to go wherever I want!”

“But y-you can n-never go home" 

Wilbur levels him a cold glare. Tommy shivers. “We never had a home, Tommy" The siren then starts to play with Tommy’s hair. “But here, in the ocean, I can have whatever I want. We can have whatever we want. Just you and me, Tommy" Tommy cries out. 

“Oh, not only that. I know you must miss your little friends as well~. Phil has been worried about you, you know? Not to mention the others… and we were all looking for you” 

“It’s about time you join us, don’t you think?” Wilbur gives Tommy a Cheshire grin. Tommy begins to struggle, but it is no use. He tries to bite Wilbur’s hand like he did with Phil.

“Bad little kid" Wilbur digs his claws into Tommy’s side and Tommy cries out. He looks down and sees his blood pooling in* the water. Wilbur forces him to make eye contact.

“But don’t worry~. We’ll fix you!” Tommy cries out. Wilbur grips him tightly, and the next thing Tommy knew, he’s underwater.

His eyes sting and he keeps struggling. Nothing works; they just go deeper, deeper, and deeper. Tommy can’t see anything but darkness around him.

He starts to run out of air. He closes his eyes, wishing, no, praying for all this to stop. He eventually runs out of air, and takes a sharp breath, water filling his lungs.

He starts to feel an excruciating pain all around his body. It’s like his body is being ripped apart and sewn back together.

Tommy’s world grows dark. The last thing he feels is a hand gently playing with his hair, and then he’s lost his consciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know sirens are not vampires. The reason the ending is like this is because I wanted to follow that aspect of the original prompt, where some characters do turn into sirens. I didn’t really know how it works, so I hope you’re not disappointed.   
> Anyway, this is the story. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing. Have a nice day! :D

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not really sure if I have to use 'merman' or 'triton' to refer to a male siren. I'll be using 'siren' because that's what usually appears in fanfics.  
> And the place they wanted to go to is L'manberg. Nothing from the original Dream SMP happened, it's just for the plot.


End file.
